Chapter 132: A Feast at Hongmen?

After reading the text message, Lin Yuqing’s mouth hung open in disbelief. "Brother Yu, is this for real? You don't think Sijie is just playing a prank on you, do you?"

Xia Yu offered a bitter smile. "I wish she were just toying with me, but she has truly left. The house has been completely cleared out."

"How can that be..."

Lin Yuqing pulled out her phone and dialed Zhao Sijie’s number, only to be met with the same automated message that the phone was powered off. She tried several more times with the same result.

"What is Sijie doing? How could she say something like that? She’s not a vain or materialistic girl. Brother Yu, did you upset her?"

Having been classmates with Zhao Sijie for four years, it would be no exaggeration to say that Lin Yuqing understood her better than Xia Yu did. Zhao Sijie was simply not the type of person described in that text message; something must have happened.

"I’ve been trying to figure out what I did wrong, but she didn’t give me any chance to ask," Xia Yu sighed. "She’s gone, and all that’s left is this text."

"Perhaps we were both wrong about her. After all, life is full of pressure, and people can change." Lin Yuqing stopped herself mid-sentence. "Brother Yu, are you very sad?"

"What do you think? I had fallen for her, but it turns out it was a misplaced love. I’m such a failure." Xia Yu managed another bitter smile and picked up his glass to continue drinking.

Lin Yuqing’s heart was a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. While she felt a pang of sympathy and regret for them, she also felt a flicker of secret joy. Feelings are selfish, after all—who doesn't want to be with the person they love? Since they had broken up, did that mean she might have another chance to rekindle their past connection?

Soon, however, Lin Yuqing pushed that thought aside. They had just parted ways, and Xia Yu was still grieving; how could she even harbor such thoughts? It was shameful!

It was nearly dawn by the time they returned to the villa. Xia Yu fell asleep the moment he closed his eyes.

Two days later.

Inside a high-end restaurant that had been fully booked, no other guests were present. Waiters stood at a distance, casting curious glances at the figures gathered in the center and whispering about who they might be. The dining room was packed with over fifty men in black suits—bodyguards. It looked just like a trap set for a sacrificial lamb.

"Old Lin, you can have your granddaughter come over now." Elder Liang nodded slightly.

"Very well." Elder Lin responded, calling Lin Yuqing and telling her to come over.

Standing to the side, Lin An gritted his teeth and asked, "Grandpa Liang, isn't it simple enough for us to just deal with this Xia Yu? Why go through all this trouble, using Yuqing to force him here?"

"Boy, it’s not as simple as you think. Think it over carefully." Elder Liang glanced at him. Lin An wanted to retort, but a sharp look from Elder Lin forced him to swallow his words.

Elder Liang squinted. Dealing with this Xia Yu was indeed not as easy as it once was. First, the man was elusive, and finding him was no small feat. They never imagined Xia Yu would be living at the summit of White Cloud Mountain. Furthermore, he was now an executive at Yinghao; going directly to the company would mean provoking the Xiao family. Unless absolutely necessary, they wanted to avoid tangling with the Xiaos. They were also gambling on whether the Xiao family would risk a war just to protect a peripheral figure like Xia Yu.

"Wife, why must you do this? Wouldn't it be better to rest properly at the hospital?" Liang Zichao chided Lin Yuxin, who was seated in a wheelchair.

"I must see this piece of trash look miserable, regretful, and begging for mercy with my own eyes," Lin Yuxin said, her eyes burning with intense hatred.

"Don't worry, my love. I will make sure he suffers a fate worse than death!" Liang Zichao said with a dark expression.

Twenty minutes later, an oblivious Lin Yuqing arrived at the restaurant. She was startled by the scene, sensing that something was wrong, but seeing her grandfather and the others present, she walked in anyway.

"Grandfather," she said uneasily.

"Yuqing, I didn't call you here for anything else, just to have you ask Xia Yu to come over," Elder Lin said expressionlessly.

"Grandfather, why... why should I call Brother Yu?" Her heart tightened.

"Why else? To settle accounts with him," Lin An said angrily. "Yuqing, don't bother trying to protect him this time. He caused Yuxin to have a miscarriage; he must pay in blood. If you try to stand in my way again, don't blame me for being unkind."

Lin An hated Lin Yuqing as well. The last time he had been sent to the hospital by Xia Yu, the Lin family had intended to settle the score, but she had suppressed the matter. If not for her close relationship with the Xiao family, he never would have swallowed that insult.

"Grandfather, I... I won't call him," Lin Yuqing said in a panic, knowing they intended to harm Xia Yu.

"Girl, that’s not up to you now," Elder Liang said with a dark face. "As long as you are here, I’m not worried about him not coming. Make the call."

Lin An immediately stepped forward, snatched the phone from Lin Yuqing, and dialed Xia Yu’s number.

"What are you doing? Give me back my phone!" Lin Yuqing was on the verge of tears.

"Yuqing, sit down and behave. If you try to interfere again, don't blame your grandfather," Elder Lin shouted.

Lin Yuqing shuddered. Seeing the rage on their faces, she knew she had no choice in the matter. It was clear they were using her to lure Xia Yu into a trap.

Xia Yu had picked up the phone, and Lin An shouted into it: "Xia Yu, get to the Parker Restaurant immediately. We are waiting for you."

"What? You don't want to be bothered? Heh, Yuqing is here too, and everyone is waiting for you," Lin An sneered. "You two are close, aren't you? If you don't come, don't say I didn't warn you—the Liang family won't be pleased."

"If you don't want to be the cause of her suffering, you have half an hour to get to this restaurant."

After hanging up, Liang Zichao immediately asked, "Well? Is he coming?"

"Don't worry, brother-in-law. Once I mentioned Yuqing was here, he immediately agreed to come," Lin An said triumphantly. If Xia Yu dared to show his face, he would surely die today!

At the villa, Xia Yu remained calm. However, since the other side had set this trap, he would have to go and see them. After getting into his car, he sent a message to a group chat: "They've set a trap for me. I'm going."

He pocketed his phone and drove to the Parker Restaurant.

Ten minutes later, he stood at the entrance. He took a deep breath and walked in with a composed expression.

"Stop right there. Are you Xia Yu?" He was intercepted by several bodyguards.

"I am," Xia Yu said softly.

The men exchanged glances and stepped forward to frisk him. Xia Yu cooperated, inwardly despising their cowardice; no wonder they had to use Yuqing to threaten him.

"You can go in." After finding no weapons, one of them shoved him.

Xia Yu glanced at him.

"What are you looking at? Get in there!" the bodyguard provoked him viciously.

"I'll remember you," Xia Yu said coldly, continuing inside.

Before long, he saw the dozens of bodyguards they had positioned, along with the Liang and Lin families sitting in the center.

"Brother Yu..." Seeing that he had actually come, Lin Yuqing anxiously tried to walk toward him.

"Yuqing, what do you think you're doing?!" Elder Lin glared at her.

She shuddered and sat back down, watching Xia Yu with worry.